Continuous-piston engine.



No. 805,140. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

- J 0. JARVIS commuons PISTON. ENGINE.

APPLIOLTIOR FILED APR. 10; 1906.

No- 805,140. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

'J. 0. JARVIS.

CONTINUOUS PISTON ENGINE. I

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No.a05,14o. I I PATENTED Nov. 21, 1905.

' J. 0. JARVIS.

CONTINUOUS PISTON ENGINE.

APILIGATIOH FILED APR. .0. 1905.

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CONTINUOUS-PISTON ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed April 10, 1905. Serial No- 254,823.

' To (all whmn, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnru 0. JARVIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Huntington, countyot' Cabcll, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous-Piston Engines, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my engine, the steam-pipes being disconnected from the inlets to better show the essential parts of the invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2'; Fig. 4, a plan of that portion of the engine shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are diagranimatical views hereinafter fully described.

The object of this invention is to provide an engine of the continuous-piston type, which shall be simple and durable and give the maximum of power with a minimum of steam, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

To the accomplishment of this object and hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accom pany- 3o ing drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which the same reference -characters designate like parts throughout the several views. 7

In the drawings, a designates a cylindrical casing through which passes the driving-shaft 6, this driving-shaft being provided with a hub c, which nicely fits the casing, but is of less diameter than the interior thereof, so as to form within the case an annular steam- 40 space d. Carried by the hub 11 is a flange or partition 1', which projects from the periphery of the hub and extends entirely around it and is of suflicient' width radially to bear against the interior surface of the cylinder. This ,45 flange or partition extends around the hub in a zigzag or serpentine line, the faces of the apexcs formed thereby bearing against the heads of the cylinder alternately, thereby forming a series of approximately triangular 5 steam-spaces extending entirely around the cylinder. In the present instance I have shown the piston as provided with four of these bends, two of these bends bearing against each cylinder-head, thereby forming four steam-chambers entirely separated from each other by the lines of contact at the 4 being shown in the present instance.

apcxes of the bends, these contact-points being preferably provided with spring-actuated packingsf to insure a steam-tight oint. The

serpentine edge of the piston is also provided I with a suitable packing-strip 1 provide a sliding abutment or gate 1 for each compartment in the steam-chamber, four These abutments or partitions work transversely through openings in the casing, their inner edges bearing against the periphery of'the hub and their outer edges working against.

suitable spring actuated packing strips It.

The inner edge of each abutment is notched to receive the serpentine piston, and suitable spring-actuated packingstrips 1' may be mounted in the opposite sides of these notches to bear against the opposite sides of the pis-.-

ton and make a steam-tight joint therewith. It will thus be seen that as the piston rotates these abutments will he slid back and forth across the steam-chamber (I, keeping this chamber constantly divided into four equal compartments. Adjacent to each abutment I arrange four valves, two at each side of the engine. one of each of these pairsjbeing an inlet and the other an exhaust valve. The inlet valve casings are designated bythc letter j and are located on the far side of the abutment-that is, on the s de opposite'ito that from which the piston is traveling, as shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3while the exhaust-valve casings are designated by the letter is and are on the near side of the abutment. Steam-inlets I lead to the interior of each inlet-valve casing j, and within each casing is a suitable rotary valve in, which governs an inlet-port n. In each exhaustvalve chamber is a similar valve 0. which controls the exhaust through ports 1) to the exhaust-pipe q. The four sets of valves are constructed exactly alike, so that the description of one will answer for alL The inletvalves are operated by the inlet-cam 'rJattached to the shaft at one side of the casing and provided with a peripheral groove'whose shape is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. Rocker-arms a. carried by the inner ends of the stems t of the inlet-valves on the adjacent side of the casing, are actuated by this earn 1-, each rocker-arm being provided with a pin which engages the groove in the cam. The outer end of each inlet-valve stein t projects beyond its casing and is DIOVldOdtVitll another arm 11, which is connected by a li uk'v, extending across the casing to a similar arm 1'0,

w her Je ri?" mentum of the piston.

carried by the outer end of the valve-stem in of the inlet-valve on the opposite side of the casing. In this way each pair of inlet-valves are operated simultaneously. The exhaustvalves are operated in the same way as the rection of the arrows, the starting being instart, as there is no dead-center. The timing and operation of the valves are clearly apparent from the arrows shown in Figs. and 5. In'Fig. 5 it will be observed that valves 1, 53, 3, and Jr have just begun to take steam, valves 5, 6, 7, and 8 have just begun to exhaust, 9, 10, 11, and 12 have nearly completed exhausting, and 13, 14, 15, and 16 are closed and will remain closed until the approaching apexes of the piston pass their inlet-ports. when they will again take steam. It will thus be seen that at all points in the rotation of the piston there will be at least four valves taking steam, thereby not only avoiding deadcenters completely, but keeping up the mo- It will be observed from Fig. 6 that the actuating-cams are each provided at equidistant points with straight portions or dwells, where the valves remain idle.

In addition to providing each inlet-valve with an inlet I prefer providing, it with a supplemental exhaust-port 1', adapted to connect with the port n by means of a port I in the valve, and each port I is connected by an exhaust-pipe Z with the adjacent exhaust-pipe q of the exhaust-valve proper. Each exhaustvalve proper is also provided with a supplemental inlet q', which connects with a supplemental live-steam port (1 formed in the exhaust-valve. By thus providing each valve with a series of supplemental ports it will be possible to convert each set of exhaust-valves into inlet-valves and each set of inlet-valves into exhaust-valves by a simple adjustment of the parts and thereby make the engine reversible. It will be observed also that the valves are all alike in construction, thereby contrib- 5 uting materially to cheapness of manufacture.

7 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various mechanical embodiments of the invention are possible, and I therefore do not WlSll to be timlted to the exact arrangement and construction shown. v

Vi hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a cylindrical casing, a shaft and hub, the latter being provided with a peripheral piston etttending entirely around the hub in a serpentine line or path, the apexes of the bends bearing alternately upon opposite sides of the heads of the casing, thereby forming a series of approximately triangular and carrying a hub within the cylinder, this hub carrying a zigzag or serpentine piston extending entirely around the hub and bearing alternately on the opposite heads of the cylinders, thereby forming a series of compartments around the cylinder, a series of sliding abutments arranged substantially as set forth, a pair of inlet-valves adjacent to each abut-- ment, a pair of exhaust-valves on the opposite sides of the abutment, these valves being arranged at the sides of the casing, a cam carried by the shaft at one side of the casing and means for operating all the inlet valves simultaneously from this cam, a cam on the shaft at the other side of the casing and means for operating all the exhaust-valves simultaneously from this cam, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature,in the presence of two witnesses, this 7th day of April, 1905.

JOSEPH C. JARVIS.

Witnesses:

Tnos. J. HIGGINS, RUFUS Swrrzaa. 

